The prison was located in the city of Bannu in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said police officer Shafique Khan. The fighters freed 380 prisoners. At least 20 of them were "very dangerous Taliban militants," including one, Adnan Rashid, who was allegedly involved in an assassination attempt against former President Pervez Musharraf, Khan said.

A Taliban spokesman, Asimullah Mehsud, claimed their fighters freed 1,200 member of the group. The group is know to make exaggerated claims.

The Pakistani Taliban have waged a bloody war against the government over the past several years that has killed thousands of Pakistani officials and average citizens.

The Pakistani military has launched a series of operations against the group in the northwest, where it is strongest. Soldiers and police have arrested scores of suspected militants over this period.